t&fn interview

by Jon Hendershott

hether under her maiden name of Dros- T&FN: Are the recent successes in Wsin or her married name since ’03, Deena the women’s distances due more to the Kastor has been a distance-running mainstay for individual efforts of athletes to surround well over a decade, topped by her ’04 Olympic themselves with the most effective sup- bronze. port groups? She gained her first U.S. Ranking in ’93 as Kastor: I definitely think so. When I an Arkansas soph and has rated either nation- was looking at my choices coming out ally or worldwide every season since ’98. She has of college, I actually looked at who was made three Olympic dominating on the world scene—even Kastor In teams, four Worlds though I didn’t even have a national A Nutshell squads and six World college title. I saw it was the Africans, Cross teams. who have training camps and they train •Personal: born Waltham, Mas- sachusetts; February 14, 1973; The only U.S. together and they train at altitude. 5-4¼/104 (1.63/47) women to run a sub- So I wanted to be in a group envi- •Schools: Agoura (California) 2:20 marathon, she ronment, a team environment and at HS ’91; Arkansas ’96; now has set countless altitude. My first conversation with represents Asics American Records coach Vigil, who is such an amazing •Coaches: Bill Duley (HS); at a variety of dis- man, won me over. Lance Harter (Arkansas); Joe tances. T&FN: Over the years, you have Vigil, Terrence Mahon (pro) In Beijing, she said that you experience sheer joy in the •PRs: 1500: 4:07.82 (’00). 2000: suffered a broken physical act of running. Have you always 5:42.76 (’01). 3000: 8:42.59 (’00). bone in her right felt that way? Just what does running 2M: 9:35.89 (’02). 5000: 14:51.62 foot only 5K into the give to you? (’00). 10,000: 30:50.32 (’02); marathon. Kastor: Gosh… I guess I remember Mar: 2:19:36 AR (’06); ARs at 9 other road distances While recover- always feeling this way from the very •Major Meets: 5000: 8)NC, 4)OT ing and readying first day of meeting for track practice ’92; 2)NCi, 5h)NC ’93; 5)NC ’96; for late-spring road when I was 11 years old. I know that 10)US ’98; 2)OT ’00; 2)US ’02. races, she served on in my last couple of years of college, 10,000: 4)NC ’94; 5)NC ’96; 3) USATF’s High Per- there were other things I was missing US, 1)WUG ’97; 3)US, 11)WC formance Task force out on. I wanted to read and write; I ’99; 1)OT, 18h)OG ’00; 1)US, (see p. 25): got so into my major of English and 11)WC ’01; 1)US, 12)WC ’03; creative writing. “I just love 1)OT ’04; 4)US ’05; 1)US, 6)WC T&FN: Was one I wanted to open up a café, which ’07; Mar—2)OT, 3)OG ’04; 1)OT, particular finding or has been a childhood dream of mine. dnf)OG ’08; also 7-time USATF running; XC champ conclusion from the I started baking for local cafés and res- panel most signifi- •World/U.S. Rankings: 3000—x, taurants. I felt like my whole life I had I love the 3 ’99; x, 3 ’01; x, 1 ’03; x, 5 ’07. cant to you? been running but I had all these other 5000—x, 9 ’93; x, 7 ’98; x, 2 ’99; Kastor: I guess passions that I wanted to fulfill. x, 2 ’00; x, 4 ’01; x, 2 ’02; x, 1 if I were to sum But when it came down to it, I got invigoration of ’03; x, 3 ’07. 10,000—x, 4 ’97; x, up what’s going to right back into my running shoes and 1 ’99; x, 1 ’00; x, 1 ’01; 6, 1 ’02; make this work it’s realized that I could open a café at any accomplishing x, 1 ’03; x, 1 ’04; x, 6 ’05; 6, 2 the athletes being time in my life. Or write at any time in ’07. Mar —x, 1 ’01; x, 2 ’02; 9, 1 in charge of their my life, or read. ’03; 3, 1 ’04; 5, 1 ’05; 1, 1 ’06; x, goals every profession. I feel I just love running; I love the 1 ’07; x, 2 ’08. that’s something invigoration of accomplishing goals day.” I’ve been fortunate every day. My goal of making the 2012 with, from graduating college and starting to Olympic team is four years off, but each work with coach [Joe] Vigil. I just surrounded day that I’m out running I’m chiseling myself with people I trust, who believe in me away at that goal. So there’s a sense of and helped me work for my goals. So I’ve never daily gratification even before a long- had a problem with that. term goal is reached. I also really love But in talking with a lot of athletes, I realized the people in the sport, as well as the that they kind of got stuck with the coaches people I surround myself with. I just they’re with. They might question the coach, love every aspect of it. or the motives of their manager. T&FN: You have written about the day That was shocking to me; the large number in the summer of ’01 when you “became” of athletes who don’t control their profession. a marathoner, after taking an 18-mile run And it is our profession. We have to be the ini- over the Santa Monica Mountains to the tiators and we have to make good choices right Pacific and back. from the start in order to be successful. Kastor: That day was a relaxed time

28 — April 2009 Track & Field News john barnhart/photo run in my schedule. I was out from dence that way. So I don’t feel I have to race to Colorado visiting my family and I gain confidence, but I do love to race. just wanted to touch the sand and T&FN: Where are you now in your recovery the water and come back. So I didn’t from your broken foot in Beijing? You mentioned have any paces to obligate myself to on your blog about doing a 20-miler. and no expectations going into the Kastor: I’m right on schedule to be racing run, except that I wanted to meet this spring. I just don’t want to rush. I was the ocean and then run back. really conservative in everything coming back Before that, I was doing only from Beijing. I didn’t want to be anxious about 15-mile runs and always trying to coming back—which was very difficult. I had hang on to guys and suffering. So never been so sedentary for three months in my this was an 18-mile run at my own entire life. So that was very hard for someone pace and I just got so invigorated, who likes to be proactive; just to sit and wait I’m still astonished at the paces I for my foot to heal. was running as I climbed back up But I guess because I was conservative and the mountain toward my parents’ did everything right, I feel like I’m in great fit- house. ness right now. I’m able to look forward and I think it was just the lack of expectations and the lack of structured Deena Wines & Dines paces that are typical of Deena Kastor uses the word “passion” about my training schedules. things, including the food and wine that she and I could just go out and husband Andrew enjoy. frolic in the wilderness Her website talks about her enjoyment of [laughs]. cooking, with recipes for dishes like blueberry The Santa Monica pancakes, chocolate raspberry scones and “hearty Mountains have always winter chili.” How does being a food lover square been dear to me from my with demanding distance training. Does she just first day of running. burn it all off? So that just helped “I think it’s a combination of energy expended unite me with my roots and energy consumed. But I really do listen to my of running, being in a body. On a day when I’m running more intensely similar mountain range or longer, I’m just going to eat more naturally. But as that first day of prac- on a day when we have just a light, easy jog and tice. It was an ecstasy and nothing else going on like heavy gym work, then joy and invigoration that my appetite isn’t as good. comes with accomplish- “So you have to follow what your appetite is. ing something you’ve The hearty winter chili is great to warm your bones, never done before. but if you’re a sedentary person, maybe limit it to Also the energy that one bowl. But if you just did a 20-mile run and it’s it fills you with. It could damp and wet out, and then you shoveled snow have been one of the in the afternoon, maybe you should consume an more exhausting runs extra bowl. of my time because it “I think that people kind of look for a specific was a few miles farther answer on what exactly they need to eat. But I don’t than I’d ever gone. But it think you should cut anything out of your diet. Just ended up being the most listen to what your body needs and thrives on.” invigorating. As for wine preference, she says, “We like a lot T&FN: Marathoners of Northern California wines, especially from the race the full distance very Miner Family Winery in Napa. Other favorites of infrequently. Is that tough ours more recently have come out of the Paso Robles from the psychological area on the central coast. We try to get there at least standpoint of actually once a year for some touring and tasting. competing in the marathon, “A company there produces a cabernet now and is that partly why you with 26.2 on the label. They’re really delicious run a variety of other road and a really fun gift. It’s a fun way to celebrate distances and also get back the distance, whether someone is getting ready to on the track for a 10,000? run it as a goal or just to accomplish it and have a Kastor: I definitely finish-line toast.” enjoy racing and, yes, I can’t run many mara- thons in a year. But I’ve also never get excited for the goals I have ahead. felt I needed races to insure my T&FN: Even with all your successes on the fitness level. I can gain a lot of con- track and in the marathon, is cross country still fidence through training because your strongest passion in running? we do similar training runs and Kastor: It is. I just love cross country. I love different intervals throughout the the ruggedness of it and battling the elements. months and the year. It’s just a gritty, tough way to run. Whether it’s So we can always compare them training for it, or racing it, it’s always just a huge to some other time and gain confi- joy for me. It’s one of the reasons we live in

The Bible Of The Sport April 2009 — 29 john barnhart/PHOTO RUN the Games. Then to have that outcome and be Kastor Interview able to share that with so many people was intoxicating. But the pride and the empower- the mountains [Mammoth Lakes, California], ment came in the weeks leading up to . because I love running that way. I couldn’t believe I had put together so many T&FN: How long do you intend to compete? I months of quality training and I still felt on assume you’d like to have a family eventually? top of the world. Kastor: One child is probably good enough That for me kind of sums up what racing is for us, but I definitely want to run through the all about; the preparation is what gives you all 2012 Olympics. My focus after Beijing was the tools and empowerment in the world. The first to just get healthy and then round into race is a sweet reward for all the work you’ve fitness again, I hate to put [a family] in the Despite her 5 & 10 line of my other passions and dreams, but I think the opportu- successes, nities present themselves at the right time—and it’s not the right Flanagan wants time yet. We’ll definitely have one to RUN SAILER/PHOTO VICTOR try shorter child; maybe have one in the next decade as well as adopting. distances T&FN: You have made references in the past to “the crazy goals I have in this sport.” Do you want to say what those goals are? Kastor: I still feel like I cheated myself out of my goal for the Beijing Olympics, so I would love to earn a gold medal—or at least another medal—in the 2012 Games. I would love to run under 2:20 again. I’m going to run a fall mara- thon this year, but I’m not sure which one. So another big goal for me is to win another major. I look at and Chicago and if those are my choices, I want to be able to run fast. If New York is my choice, it’s been a dream since my first marathon there in ’01 to win that race. That would When legends meet: Kastor & ’84 Olympic be a dream come true. T&FN: What has been the odd- champ Samuelson. est experience you’ve ever had in a race? done in the months leading up to it. Kastor: It definitely came from swallowing As far as internal satisfaction, all the races a bee at the ’00 World Cross in Portugal. Well, are the same. I feel like I grab something from I didn’t actually swallow it per se. It stung the each experience. I cherish both good and bad. uvula at the back of my throat and I spit him out! T&FN: Do you feel a drive to top ’04? You My throat started to swell and close up, until I said you’d like to win another medal, so is that a finally passed out and hit the ground. major motivator? Luckily, I hit the ground hard enough that it Kastor: I would like to win one more at the shook me back to my senses. I sprang back up Olympics, but I don’t think I could compare the and finished the race. My manager, Ray Flynn, experiences. The next time around is going to told me after the race that they kept playing be totally different. Not to top it, but to make it in slow motion on the jumbo screens near it a wonderful experience as far as training and the finish line. Later in ’00, I had the honor of preparation goes, as well as the race itself. introducing President Clinton to a large crowd, T&FN: So where is your ’04 medal? only to have him retell the story. It was quite Kastor: [laughs] We have a basket next to embarrassing. the telephone with pens and paper clips and T&FN: Has there been one race in your entire loose change and it’s in there. Hopefully not career that was most satisfying to you? getting too many pen marks on it. Kastor: Not at all. I get as equally excited I do speak to schools and civic groups and with good workouts as with good races. As right after the Games I took the medal with far as the commitment and hard work that me. But I don’t anymore because I want to went into it from so many people, Athens in offer something different, deeper experiences, ’04 was very sweet because my whole family as the years have gone on. I’ve had some great was in the stands. talks just since Beijing on how to overcome The sweetest part of Athens for me was adversity and I’ve enjoyed talking on that how powerful and strong I felt leading up to subject quite a bit.

30 — April 2009 Track & Field News